Githyanki

A githyanki is a descendant of a Gith, the old race that spawned the Githyanki and Githzerai, which now feud over long-held grudges of the utmost perpetuancy.
Once a slaved race, the Gith were held in enslaved captivity by the Illithid, or Mindflayers, but found a method of escape.
Now free, and in complete turmoil, the two clans split in a violent separation, when the githyanki took to the Astral Plane, a realm of thought-forms and elemental energies at work. The githzerai, establing monk orders, took to Limbo, learning to stabilize the chaotically disintegrating elements into lawful order, and establishing small cities on stabilized air and earth 'islands' in the vast sweeping chaos that ends in cosmological oblivion outside the sweeping rim of the outer plane, the furthest livable realm.
The Githyanki have evolved into a highly militaristic culture, and every living essence of their culture reflects their military lifestyle that begins at birth in the nursing hospices that rest in the center of their now large cities. Githyanki have a fluent trade system, being naturally cunning interplanar shipworkers and mercenaries, and integrating into other interplanar trade missions and routes.
Some of the most legendary githyanki cities are built on colossal monolithic masses that drift in the umbra, the astral thought-energy that makes up the spaces between locations, and these gargantuan structures are sometimes rumored to be long-dead gods whose followers are no longer around to worship and lend their energies to the mystical Divine.
When and if any githyanki comes into contact with a githzerai, they immediately find themselves sniping until a fight bursts out, and only if both are in jeopardy will they work together momentarily long enough to put themselves out of danger, then begin working back on the opposing githchild.
Githyanki and Githzerai are almost nearly identical in character and appearance, except the typical method of lifestyle that each employs in their own habitat. Githy appear to be gaunt and limber humanoids with mottled, tough skin that varies in color from grey to yellow to orange to mute greens and browns. Githyanki are more lean and hard then githzerai, but only a gith would notice it.
Githyanki have a tendency of employing the use of Silver Swords, which are magically-melded metals which move fluidly and cohesively to attack in the most fluid, dextrous manner possible. The Silver Sword can sever a Silver Cord, the astral cord that connects an Astral Thought-traveller to its body when these individuals come through the Astral plane attempting to access other realms by this method.
Silver Swords go from cold steel to mercury-like liquid metal and back without effort for the quickest, most dangerous possible strike.


A Githyanki Warrior sketch - All pics copyright http://www.wizards.com

Githyanki Female Warrior

Githyanki (front) and Githzerai (rear) in close combat over ancient feuds.

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